Buffums facts for kids

Buffums' newly expanded store in 1924

Buffums was a chain of fancy department stores, a bit like a big shopping mall all in one building! It started in Long Beach, California. The Buffums story began in 1904. Two brothers, Charles A. and Edwin E. Buffum, came from Illinois. They teamed up with others to buy a big dry goods store called Schilling Bros. They renamed it The Mercantile Co.

This store grew into a huge department store in downtown Long Beach. Starting in the 1950s, it slowly expanded. By the time it closed in 1990, Buffums had 16 special department stores all over Southern California.

People often called Buffums the “Grand Dame” (which means a respected, older lady) of department stores. The inside of the stores was known for big, sparkly chandeliers and other fancy decorations. Buffums tried to stand out from other stores by calling itself a “Buffums Specialty Store.” It had a famous advertising line in the 1970s and '80s: “I’ve been to Buffums.” They even had a fun “Bag-A-Bargain” promotion. This involved putting actual shopping bags with discount offers into local newspapers!

Like many older stores, Buffums faced challenges. Business models were changing, and people's shopping tastes were different. New stores like Nordstrom also came along. An Australian company, David Jones Ltd, bought Buffums in the 1970s. Later, it became part of another Australian company, Adelaide Steamship. They tried to sell Buffums but couldn't find a buyer. In 1990, Buffums tried to modernize by installing new computer systems. But sadly, after the 1990 Christmas shopping season, the stores closed down for good.

Buffums Stores Over Time

The First Store (Flagship)

Buffums’ logo and sketch of their newly expanded store in 1924

The very first Buffums store, which was their main or "flagship" store, grew quite a bit!

Before Buffums, there was a dry goods store called Wm. Schilling & Sons. It opened in 1892 in Long Beach. By 1902, it was a large "department store" selling clothes, shoes, hats, and home items.

In 1904, the Buffum brothers and some other partners bought Schilling Bros. for $65,000. They started their new company, The Mercantile Co. The original Schilling Bros. store eventually became the men's shoe section of the future Buffums flagship store. The next year, The Mercantile Co. bought a big piece of land to build a new, larger store. This new building, which was three stories tall, opened in 1912.

• 1924: A new six-story building was added. This “New Buffums’” opened in stages.
• 1941: They built a special parking garage called the "Autoport."
• 1960: More shops were added, including a Varsity Shop and a four-story parking garage.
• 1964: The store expanded even more, taking up a whole city block! It became a huge 180,000 square foot complex. This new space included areas for home furnishings and a "Sportsman's Shop."

Buffums competed with other local stores in downtown Long Beach. Later, big shopping centers like Lakewood Center and Los Altos Center opened. These centers had other large department stores, bringing more competition.

The main Buffums store complex was sold in 1981. It was torn down in 1985 to make space for offices. Buffums then moved its Long Beach store and main office to the nearby Long Beach Plaza mall when it opened in 1982.

Other Buffums Locations

When Buffums closed, it had 16 stores in different cities. Here are some of them:

Some Buffums stores had closed even before the company shut down completely:

Images for kids

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  Buffums' newly expanded store in 1924

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  Buffums’ logo and sketch of their newly expanded store in 1924